The Ender named Zone
by F-14 Tomcat Lover
Summary: He was once a man on the run. He found hope and friends. Now he must work with his lover and fight once more. He had once been known as Zone, the Breaker of PLANTS. The man who had destroyed Junius Seven. Wait! What's he doing as an Astray Pilot?
1. ReEntering the Zone

Disclaimer: I do not own Mobile Suit Gundam: SEED.

Note: I'm working on creating several different paths that would have happened if this was changed or that was changed. Basically quite a bit of theories and conjecture about the story we have all come to love and alter.

_**"The Ender named Zone"**_

_**Phase One: "Re-entering the Zone in Green"

* * *

**_

**Secret Mobile Suit Test Hanger, Morgenroete Factory District-39, Heliopolis Island Type-3 Colony, Orb Union**

**January 25th, Year 71 of the Cosmic Era**

**11:13 am Heliopolis Standard Time**

Kensouke Walton was climbing into the mobile suit he had been testing for Morgenroete and the Orb National Defense Force for a little over a several weeks now. This mobile suit and its three companions identified by their paint jobs as Red Suit, Gold Suit, and Blue Suit are the prototypes for Orb's new mobile suit program. Though Kensouke isn't a fool. He knows that there are five prototypes being produced for the Alliance here. He also knows that the Seiran Family is behind this breach while the Orb military is behind the four he and his fellows are working on, though he hates the fact that a Sahaku is looking down at him as he tests the new Natural-adapted Operating System with the new Artificial Intelligence Support Construct, which he decided to name Rei or Spirit in International English.

"Blame just about anything English on England, as if!" he mumbled when he and all the others around him felt a tremendous shake that was a quake.

"_What the hell was that?"_ the Sahaku male yelled.

"_It's ZAFT! Launch the Green Suit into battle!"_ came the Heliopolis Defense Force Command Headquarters orders.

"Roger, Green Frame, Test Pilot First Lieutenant Kensouke Walton, moving out!" LT Walton yelled as the last few ammo clips were locked into position and he began a full activation sequence bringing Rei and the Green Suit, which he called Frame, up and running.

* * *

The plugs supplying power broke away as the Green Frame was put onto a vertical catapult and connected to another power source and then given its shield and 76mm battle rifle. The Green Frame also received its 57mm high-energy beam rifle that was attached to a hard point just behind its shield and a bazooka that was attached just behind the right shoulder. Two packs of addition ammo for the 105mm bazooka were also attached to the Green Frame's back. Once in battle, LT Walton planned on ditching everything, but the needed munitions and weapons for that specific part of the battle. He then activated his Phase-Shift and Rei came to life with the soft, almost heavenly voice that he could not place into any specific group and her holographic image appeared on his left panel.

"_All systems green!"_

"_AISC, named Rei, fully operational and green across the board!"_

"_Batteries check at Green!"_

"_Weapon loading now complete! We have green light here!"_

"_Phase-Shift online and functioning as should, green light!"_

"_All sections are green light across the board, except medical, but that's expected. Green Suit, LAUNCH!"_

"Green Frame launching!" the Green Frame was hurled through the Linear Catapult and into battle.

* * *

**Secret MS Factory District-37, Morgenroete, Heliopolis**

Two teens stopped to see the gun battle being waged below them between people in worker and technician orange jumpsuits with blue hats and many green and two red space/flight suited ZAFT soldiers. The blonde hair girl fell to her knees crying about the two grey mobile suits that the ZAFT soldiers and factory personnel were fighting over belonging to the Alliance. Then she yelled out to her father.

"FATHER! WHY DID YOU BETRAY US?"

At once a few shots hit the area they were standing. Immediately the brunette male picked up his companion and began dragging her across the walkway to get to a shelter telling her everything would be alright.

Below them, the person who shot at them, a long haired brunette female, noticed that they were just a couple of kids trying to get clear of the heavy fighting. She was a bit confused as to why there were a couple of kids in the factory district and where they came from. Her musings were cut short by the cry of one of her fellows being hit and a few near misses near her. Not more than twenty seconds had elapsed.

* * *

**Outside the Morgenroete Facilities**

All hell had broken loss and the few Alliance Forces in the colony were shredded by the two ZGMF-1017 GINNS and the HDF Linear Tanks, Linear Self Propelled Artillery, and the Missile Jeeps that had been able to mobilized, were in the process of getting shredded. The Alliance had mainly only Missile Jeeps and most had been lost when three of their five prototype mobile suits had been stolen. The remaining units were fighting hard and most were dieing fast. The HDF troops were not fairing any better, but at least they still had some heavy vehicles left. Then behind the two GINNS, the mountainside fell away to reveal a Linear Catapult and then ten seconds later, a green mobile appeared shooting up into the sky and then doing a front flip as it started to come down.

Once the green mobile suit landed, it stood to its full height. It was just less than twenty meters in height. It was green and white and had golden horns with amber eyes. It was armed to the teeth with a bazooka, a machine gun, a shield, and lots of ammunition. The most significant thing though, was the Orb National Defense Force Seal on its right shoulder and on its shield.

The two GINNS actually looked at one another and then back at the green mobile suit. The confusion was obvious, as the HDF troops didn't know they had a mobile suit and the Alliance troops didn't know that the suit even existed even though they had originally five mobile suits. Then a voice barked out from the mobile suit.

"_To the ZAFT GINN pilots! This is the Green Frame of the Orb National Defense Forces! I hereby order that you deactivate your mobile suits and exit them! Surrender now! You are surrounded by the Orb Union National Defense Force!"_

The HDF troops had rallied at the sight of their mobile suit and had quickly surrounded the two GINNS. The GINN pilots didn't like the odds. Thankfully for them and painfully for the HDF, three more GINNS appeared and evened out the odds a bit to ZAFT's liking. The Green Frame dumped all its spare munitions and weapons and the shield and went to work. Its battle rifle barked as a burst of three 76mm Armor Piercing Shells ripped into a GINN, hitting one of its spare ammo clips, and exploded in a fiery show of death and power. The remaining GINNS began to scatter, but one was caught in a hailstorm of fire from the HDF vehicles and was torn to bits before it exploded when a missile made contact with its battery.

* * *

**Three blocks from the Morgenroete Main Gate, next to a bombed out building and behind the remains of a tank**

Three teenagers had stopped to seek shelter as the battle raged about them. They saw the arrival of the Green Frame and its subsequent order for the GINN pilots to surrender. Then the arrival of the additional three GINNS and also had front row seats to the Green Frame's first killed and the death of a second GINN caught in the middle of a fire cauldron of HDF fire. The battle raged before their eyes as two more GINNS arrived to try and pick up the slack of their fallen comrades and then a third GINN arrived, this one from above and not from one side of the colony or the other like the other five did. Then a factory facility exploded and two more mobile suits appeared.

They watched as the HDF and the Alliance troops stopped firing to figure out whom those two belonged to, but the Green Frame got two more GINNS before turning to see who were in the machines. For a scant few seconds, all firing stopped and it reminded one of the teens, a young girl with wavy light honey brown hair of an old joke that she voiced.

"True Peace, not a shot fired or insult said. It lasted only a few seconds before everyone reloaded and started again."

Her two companions, both male with black hair and deep Asian features and light brown hair with European features and yellow glasses, looked at her and found the irony of the joke. Then, a second or two later, the firing began again. They looked at her with a look that said _fortune telling much?_ She shrugged her shoulders as how was she to know that the shooting would restart right when she finished saying that old joke.

They watched as one of the grey mobile suits stumbled about trying to put some distance between it and the ZAFT while the second one stood still. It was clear to them and anyone else that the one moving away from the GINNS was not in ZAFT hands and the one standing still was in ZAFT hands.

Two of the GINNS tried to cut it off and cut it up, but a double burst of gunfire reminded everyone that the Green Frame was still there and activate, but one of the GINNS found that out the hard way. It crashed into the ground, paving its why into one of the factories, where it promptly exploded and destroyed the factory. Pieces of shuttle components rained down on the battlefield, but the second GINN managed to dodge the second round of double burst fire, drew its weapon, and fired at the grey mobile suit which promptly turned to white limbs and red feet with a blue torso with red sides and blue shoulders and survived all the High Explosive shells that hit it.

The GINN landed, drew its sword, and was nearly caught by the Green Frame's fire once again. Though the fire impacted against the other grey mobile suit, but this one had turned a burgundy and black color and staggered slightly from the AP rounds hitting it.

The teens watched as two missiles appeared out of a park and headed straight towards an unsuspecting GINN, but the burgundy mobile suit intercepted the missiles and counter fired the offending Missile Jeep, destroying it as it tried to flee to a new position. The three teens watched, as it had been a direct hit with no survivors. Then the ground exploding near them, telling _them_ to relocate and fast.

* * *

**Inside the GAT-X105 Strike**

Lieutenant Murrue Ramius of the Oppose Militancy and Neutralize Invasion Enforcer, OMNI Enforcer, tried to move and defend against a GINN with a proper OS system, a skilled pilot that was obviously an ace with greater training then her, and doing so with a wounded shoulder. Her passenger just looked on in terror as the GINN closed the range to use its sword, but was thwarted when another GINN that had been filled full of holes crashed between them and exploded. She activated several additional small pop up screens on the main screens to see what was happening around her and saw a green mobile suit she did not recognize go hand to hand with a couple of GINNS, but then she heard the boy gasp.

Turning to see what had caused him to gasp, she saw three teens and heard him mention their names. Then the threat board came to life and the alarms rang alerting them to the GINN trying once more to kill them. LT Ramius was forced to back up as the Close In Weapons System was not properly aligned and could not be brought to bear against her enemy. The camera monitoring the three teens did a close up of the female's panicked face and the boy moved forward planning on doing something and ended up ducking below the GINN's MAS-02 Heavy Sword and then shoulder tackling the GINN, knocking it to the ground and stunning the pilot.

"Please move," the boy said.

"What?" responded LT Ramius.

"Please, move out of the way," he said again and she did.

LT Ramius watched as he began to type at an amazing speed and mumbling about computer programs and components and other things involved in producing Operating Systems for mobile suits. He then shook his head and complained about the OS being terrible and LT Ramius stated that it wasn't finished and still in the testing phase. He finished rewriting the OS just as the GINN got back up and launched another attack, but this time the CIWS was brought into play and the GINN was once again knocked back as the Strike went onto the offensive.

'_Who is this kid? He's definitely a Coordinator, but why is he fighting… He's a civilian and Orb doesn't have bias laws against either Naturals or Coordinators!' _LT Ramius thought.

She glanced left and noticed the green mobile suit finish off another GINN when it got back its battle rifle. The GINN was hit several times from several bursts of fire and one hit the unit's spare ammo and once again there was a deafening roar combined with the sight of death and power. She then felt the Strike begin to rocket forward and saw the boy drawing out the Armor Schneiders and launching an attack on the furiously firing GINN. The boy got the left shoulder and the right side of the neck. The GINN shut down and the pilot abandoned the mobile suit.

"This isn't good, get us back from here," she said too late as the GINN self-detonated knocking the Strike onto its back and LT Ramius out cold.

Her last view was the tumbling cockpit, debris, surroundings, and the green mobile suit finishing off the last GINN with a trap shot like move and begin to rush to their aid.

* * *

**43rd Street and Sakura Lane's Peace Park, Heliopolis, Orb**

**01250071 Military Dating (January 25th, 71)**

**1431 hrs Military Time (24 hour clock, 2:31 pm)**

First Lieutenant Kensouke Walton rubbed the bridge off his nose just under his glasses. He was already tired from the day's events and it wasn't too surprising. Somehow and against all odds, he had single handedly shot down five GINNS in less than five minutes. Most people would give quite literally anything to be in his shoes. He is after all, the very first combat ace with five mobile suit kills _IN_ a mobile suit and that he _IS_ a Natural is an added bonus.

Still, at the moment he glanced around the makeshift command post. He was in it alone, except for a kid he knows, named Kuzzey Buskirk. Kuzzey had seen the battle first hand and had thought that LT Walton was a Coordinator, but when he showed Rei's portable imager, Kuzzey mellowed.

Near them and looking over the Strike was Sai Argyle. He was checking for any serious looking battle damage that he could tell with the naked eye and his untrained mind and hands.

Also nearby was Kira Yamato, the young man that had piloted the Strike, and his fiancée, Mirillia Haw, were lounging next to one of the trees with a blanket salvaged from a nearby store covering them and asleep. LT Walton remembered when he had first run into the two of them.

* * *

**Flashback**

_A broken man walked down the street. He was broken, because he had done something that could never be forgiven. He ran away from the consequences, because he knew he did not want to face the problem, did not have the strength to face it, and was scared beyond belief for his life. As he walked, he heard a young woman scream. Something inside of him came to life and he pursued the screams._

_He rounded a corner to see several men attacking a young teenage girl. They were insulting her and beating her. The broken man charged right into the men and tackled a couple of them in one move. He got up and knocked another out with a blow to the throat that nearly collapsed his airway. He was then blind sided by another attacker, but he turned, used to being blindsided, and threw a haymaker that followed by a left uppercut that stunned and dazed his opponent and then grabbing his shoulders, brought the man's stomach to meet his knee and then head butted him on the jaw for good measure, sending him into a wall that he hit his head on hard enough to draw some blood from the back of his head and knock him out cold._

_Another attacker came with a knife, intent on stabbing the interloper in the back, but a trash lid impacted along the side of the man's head and knocked him to the ground. A young man of 15 years of age charged in and threw a straight punch to the nose of the guy that had the knife, breaking the nose and knocking him out._

_Another thug pulled out a gun, but the girl brought her purse down on his hand and the shot went into his buddy that had been in front of him, dropping him with a new hole in his can. A nearby group of HDF troops on leave heard the shot and ran to investigate and saw the brown haired boy and the man of mixed descent holding off a group of men, of which four remained and four were down, three out cold and one shot in the butt._

_The group of soldiers charged in just as a couple of police cruisers arrived and the four officers dismounted to investigate the gunshot. What they found were four men being restrained by HDF troops and three civilians looking mighty thankful for the assistance._

_Later, at the Police Station, the man was sitting around drinking a cup of water and finishing a ham sandwich with American cheese and green lettuce, light mayo and mustard when the mother and father with their daughter walked up to him to thank him for helping to protect their daughter. He accepted the gratitude hesitantly, remembering his past, and was curious as to why Blue Cosmos terrorists would attack a Natural. The girl came out and admitted that her fiancée was a First Generation Coordinator, but that she and him were happy together._

"_Please say that you have nothing against this!" the girl had begged._

"_Why do you need to beg when I hate Blue Cosmos and their warped logic," he stated and continued, "I may disagree with the Coordinator gene treatment, or whatever they do to make a baby into a Coordinator, but it is not my place to tell others how what to do with their kids genetics, but I ask that they think before they jump into the whole thing. And after all, a Second Generation Coordinator is unmodified and only has the Coordinator tag, because their parents had it. I also fail to see how Coordinators are a threat to the environment."_

_At that moment, the tension in the whole station had died out. The man's words rung true. He seemed rather intelligent for someone who seemed to be a penniless drifter. Then the young boy and his parents approached. They talked a little and gave the man their thanks, but he brushed it off as his part to save the human race from sorrow and insanity. It was then that he learned he was talking to the Yamatos. A family that had been rising in the Orb Union political scene. Still generally unknown outside of the Orb Union, the Yamatos were fast gaining power to rival the Seirans, the Sahakus, and the Athhas. The latter they have close ties with._

_It proved to be one of the best moments that the drifter named Kensouke Walton had ever had. He soon found himself with glowing reviews in front of the nearby ONDF recruitment officer. That in turn led to his becoming a test pilot for the ONDF assigned to test the latest weapons coming out of Morgenroete's factories. That in turn got him his appointment to being a lead mobile suit test pilot for Orb and got him assigned the Green Frame and then the AI Support Construct, Rei._

**End Flashback**

* * *

Also, the wounded female that had been with Kira inside the Strike was laid out on a bench, covered with another blanket and a nurse who had gotten separate from her hospital unit was checking over her bullet wound. It wasn't anything serious and the nurse had already removed the bullet and dressed the wounds. Nothing new in the art of battlefield medicine, but she at least had the time to make it a proper removal in the field.

Turning his attention to Kuzzey who was listening intently to the rally orders and soon got what he was listening for.

"Ken! Its for you," he said handing the headset over to the professional soldier.

"Army Silver Single Kensouke Walton here, what are my orders?" he asked sounding very serious.

"_FIRST LIEUTENANT Walton, you are to hold your position until new orders arrive or your relieved, understood?" _the irritated deep English voice of Sea Going Eagle (Naval Captain) Wallace Ramsey replied.

It was no surprise, as the two disliked the other intently. Kensouke Walton's problem was that Wallace Ramsey talked and acted like his family background, a wealthy English family from the 19th Century, but more like the 18th Century.

For Wallace Ramsey, it was that Kensouke Walton was too much like a Yankee in his opinion. Wallace Ramsey thought Kensouke Walton a hothead, brash, an upstart, and the list went on. Needless to say that the Orb National Defense Ministry tried to keep the two as far apart as possible and it went down the ranks to the lowest rank soldiers. Oil and Water was the biggest understatement of the year.

"Roger that sir, but I got a BIG problem and its not healthy to pass it off,"1LT Walton replied.

"_What is your problem? Out of Coca-Cola already?" _Captain Ramsey sneered over the radio.

"Negative, got plenty of that! Didn't want it to spoil, exposed and heating up in the sun, but seriously, I have one wound female. My best military guess is that she is an Alliance officer," there was a loud crash on the other end of the radio, "Also I have four civilians and a lost military nurse on my hands as well, but two of the kids are Kira Yamato and his fiancée," there was even a bigger crash in the background.

"_We're trying to get reinforcements to you, hold until relieved and then escort all back to the rear, but now…" _an explosion and silence, then a strange howling sound that could mean one thing, _"FIRST LIEUTENANT KENSOUKE WALTON! PROTECT THE CIVILIANS AND YOUR MACHINE TO THE BITTER END! GOD SPEED!"_ then silence and the colony gave a shudder.

"May you win all your battles," Rei then spoke the obvious.

"Central Command has been destroyed by D-Package Weapons… No survivors among the upper levels of command… Why? Why kill so many if they do not wish war with us?" Rei could not help, but ask, even if she was an AI Support Construct.

"That is a good question, but we must prepare, an enemy approaches… Rei issue the orders to abandon Heliopolis… Gamma Signet Alpha one-oh-seven-three-Charlie-five-oh-one, First Lieutenant Kensouke Walton, issuing orders to protect Orb secrets, but let's leave the Alliance foundries unharmed, for now," 1LT Walton said grabbing the portable imager, but stopped and left it and gave Kuzzey his .45 Morgenroete Special Forces with Armor Piercing slugs in it.

"Anything none Orb or Alliance comes near, blast him/her, I don't care, waste'em and waste'em good," he said running to his mobile suit, but gunfire at his feet stopped him.

All turned to see the woman was up and she had her weapon still.

"Tell me you gave her a knock out stim and not an up and at them stim," 1LT Walton threw the nurse a pleading look, but she gave a sheepish smile.

"Only just realized that I made that mistake," she said sheepishly.

"Just who are you?" she demanded of Walton and then pointed her gun at Sai, "And you get down from there!" she was in control, but then the pistol left her head and a thunderclap sounded.

Everyone looked towards Kuzzey who was on his butt and smiling like a sheepish idiot. Smoke drifted from the barrel of the pistol. He had actually blasted something and it was a pistol and now he looked like an idiot who had just tripped down some stairs.

"Nice shot Kuzzey," Walton said as he pulled out an old 1860 Colt Army Single Action Revolver, caliber .45, the tables were now turned.

"Ken?" the woman said surprised and then it hit Walton like a _Luarasia_-Class ramming into him.

"Awe hell! Murrue Ramius! Dammit to hell! This is just Rio Grande!" he shouted and cursed even more under his breath to keep even Kira from hearing the assorted words he used.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were dead? They said you committed suicide," LT Ramius started forward and when she reached 1LT Walton, she touched his face and began to see if he was really there and he was.

"No my goddess, I just left… The war was going badly and the hate… I couldn't take it and you know me better than that! SUICIDE! When I get my hands around Sutherland's neck, he is going to regret it!" Walton said a few more things, but he kept them to himself and in his mind.

"You are still alive, but why are you in that flight suit?" Lt. Ramius asked.

"I was lost, but then I found the path in the Orb Ground Defense Force. I'm a Silver Single Railroad Bar in the ONGDF, but we've got serious problems. ZAFT just took out my Command HQ and I have only orders that are no longer followable, but I want to know if we can salvage anything from the Alliance R and D sites?" Walton asked.

"Get the number five trailer and we might have a chance… How you fixed for power?" she asked.

"I got more than enough power and firepower to go through an fleet of ZAFT ships!" he smiled good-naturedly at her.

"You there, get the number five trailer," she pointed at Sai and he looked towards Walton.

"I'll vouch for her. She had been a teacher when we started dating," he told Sai and Sai nodded and went to get the number five trailer.

"You know, I don't know whether to kiss you or yell at you?" Walton said to Ramius.

"How about neither, for now," she said.

"Agreed, Kira Yamato, Mirillia Haw, Kuzzey Buskirk, First Lieutenant Jen Simmons, and Rei," he pointed to each and then added, "the fellow that just left is Sai Argyle. Also, don't, whatever you do, point a gun at Kira Yamato or Mirillia Haw."

"Why's that?" she asked confused.

"I doubt you want half the ONDF on your tail for threatening two of the most powerful kids in Orb. Kira's family is a raising political family with strong ties to the Athhas and Mirillia Haw is his fiancée and I don't doubt that you know this as of the fight with the Magic Bullet of Dusk, but Kira is a First Generation Coordinator. Just a heads up," he said and then claiming her lips for about five minutes before they parted.

"I don't date mobile armor pilots anymore Ken," Ramius told her old boyfriend.

"Then I'm glad I did desert, because I'm a mobile suit pilot these days," he replied, but Lt. Simmons cleared her throat and things got busy preparing for ZAFT.

* * *

**Inside the Main Support Shaft**

Lieutenant Mu La Flaga, the famous Hawk of Endymion, was trying desperately to keep from being shot down by the White Knight, Commander Rau Le Creuset. The battle raged back and forth and then the Hawk lost a gunbarrel to Rau. He tried to avoid another volley of fire and lost two more gunbarrels, but he countered fired and nicked the left leg of the white ZMGF-515 CQUE in front of him. The Hawk knew that his orange with a white feather TAS-02.mod.00 Moebius Zero mobile armor was still outmatched by the ZAFT mobile suits, especially the CQUE in front of him with an veteran and ace in front of him, even if the Zero was a superior model over the TAS-02 Moebius mobile armor.

"_Mu, I would really appreciate it if you died right about NOW!" _Rau Le Creuset said over the radio.

Mu La Flaga deployed his last gunbarrel and tried a pincer attack, but he lost the last gunbarrel and blew up several areas of the insides of the Support Shaft. Then Rau Le Creuset returned fired and a hole was blown open in the side of the Support Shaft and the Lt. La Flaga took off through it. Rau Le Creuset followed rapidly, intent on making the kill. Only he had to dodge 76mm AP shells flying at him from the M1 Mobile Suit Burst Fire-only Battle Rifle, caliber 76.1mm, fired by the MBF-01 Green Astray mobile suit, piloted by First Lieutenant Kensouke Walton with aid from the Artificial Intelligence Support Construct Rei.

'_The Orb mobile suit the others reported… Interesting… I see it might have the same technology as the Alliance, so we may yet salvage this mission,' _Rau Le Creuset thought.

"_You bastards spoiled a perfectly good day! Then you go and use D-Package weapons on my GHQ! Now you blast holes in the Main Support Shaft! I am SO going to kick yer ass!" _and with that said, the two mobile suits began to battle.

* * *

Cliffhanger, I know it is, but with a positively EVIL reason. RHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

So I do hope you all enjoy.

* * *

**_"The Ender named Zone!"_**

**_Next Phase: "The Battle of Heliopolis!"_**

_**Rise Up and Defend Gundam!

* * *

**_

2nd Disclaimer: I do not own Zone of the Enders either.


	2. The Battle of Heliopolis

Disclaimer: I do not own Mobile Suit Gundam: SEED.

Note: I'm working on creating several different paths that would have happened if this was changed or that was changed. Basically quite a bit of theories and conjecture about the story we have all come to love and alter.

"_**The Ender named Zone"**_

_**Phase Two: "Battle of Heliopolis"**_

**Near the Main Support Shaft of the Island Type-3 Colony named Heliopolis and territory of Orb Union

* * *

**

The infamous or famous, depending what side you're on, White Knight of ZAFT, evaded fire from the Orb National Defense Force's newest weapon of war, the MBF-01G Green Frame. Commander Rau Le Creuset is considered one of the finest ZAFT officers and best mobile suit pilots. Yet on the other hand, he had rarely engaged in mobile suit combat with another mobile suit as the opponent and that was highly rare as it was as only the Alliance's Combat Coordinators or the several groups of mercenaries or pirate bands in the Earth Space even had mobile suits with pilots and those were Coordinators, not Naturals with advance AI Combat Support Constructs to aid them. Now the pilot, Orb Union First Lieutenant Kensouke Walton, had the White Knight's ZGMF-515 CQUE on the defensive. The two were circling, exchanging shots, but the Green Frame and its Frame Runner had the clear edge in battle.

"_I don't know who you are, but I would very much appreciate it if you just died here and now and allowed me to get onto more important things,"_ Commander Le Creuset said over the radio.

"_The name's Kensouke Walton, a first lieutenant of the ONDF and a man looking for blood of the fool that wasted my GHQ!"_ 1LT Walton was indeed looking for blood as bad memories surfaced in the back of his mind.

The two mobile suits began to part, but the Green Frame continued to circle his foe, looking for the shot that would count.

If there was one thing Rau Le Creuset hated more than the pilot of the mobile suit circling him, it was the pilot of the orange mobile armor with a white feather that was now taking pot shots at him.

"_Time to go to hell Le Creuset!"_ yelled the Hawk of Endymion, Lieutenant Mu La Flaga of the Oppose Militancy and Neutralize Invasion Enforcer.

Commander Le Creuset barely avoided the shots only to lose his assault rifle to several blows and have a few spots of his CQUE get holed through by the M1 Battle Rifle that the Green Frame carried.

Lt. La Flaga whistled as he saw the wounded CQUE now trying to put some distance between it and the two mobile units. That was when he noticed the Main Support Shaft was now to the back of the CQUE. He naturally cursed the White Knight and said a few choice words over an open frequency that would make a Marine and a Sailor blush at the same time.

Kira Yamato had finally gotten the Launcher Striker Pack hooked up to the GAT-X105 Strike and stood the said mobile suit to its full height and waited. The fighting was fierce, but the choice words made him blush a deep crimson from what the mobile armor pilot was saying was so vile that it would corrode the very surface of the Moon. Then the white mobile suit did a sudden dive, right at the unprotected people around him.

"No!" he yelled as the CQUE fired and he set the Strike right in the way of the fire, absorbing the High Explosive 57mm shots.

To say that Kensouke Walton was pissed, was an understatement as he pursued and began to hound his opponent's every move. The M1's 76.1mm shots were Armor Piercing and wouldn't do much damage to the colony itself, unless it hit something vital, but the 57mm HE from the shield mounted gattling cannon of the CQUE could do a lot of damage despite its small size.

During the pursuit, 1Lt. Walton saw the CQUE suddenly double back, but not at him, but the TAS-02.mod.00 Moebius Zero mobile armor that was orange with a white feather which had begun to strafe the CQUE.

Lt. La Flaga was strafing the CQUE when it doubled back on him and he barely avoided the slash of the MA-02 Heavy Sword, but his Linear Gun, his main and only remaining weapon was sliced clean in two and now he moved out the area of battle, but the CQUE started to pursue, but the green mobile suit got between the two and fired a burst of fire that riddle the chest armor of the CQUE, but did not destroy it.

Then all three combatants were caught off guard as an underground explosion ripped into the area, showering debris everywhere, but it also caught one of the combatants and the Green Frame was sent tumbling to the ground. The Green Frame didn't even twitch as it slammed into the ground. In fact, it didn't twitch after it hit the ground.

Seeing the massive white battleship put Commander Le Crueset on the defensive for good as it launched three missiles from its stern tubes at him. He destroyed the three, but four more appeared through the smoke and he got two.

Kira Yamato watched in horror as the last two missiles that chased the CQUE slammed into the support shaft. The damage was obvious and he knew it was time to bring his own weapons into play. He began to target the CQUE as yet one more missile pursued it and this one was being led into an area that held shelters. Just before it would have missed, the missile exploded throwing shrapnel out and the CQUE lost its shield and gattling cannon to the Anti-Air Shrapnel missile.

* * *

**On the Bridge of the _AFS Archangel_**

"See Ensign Badgiruel what happens when you switch missiles," the officer that sat in the command chair said.

"I wasn't aware that the Anti-Air missiles were good for Anti-Mobile Suit operations," the blacked hair slender female officer, Ensign Natarle Badgiruel, answered.

"Naturally they are quite capable, because the ZAFT DINN was thought of when these missiles were designed," the male officer had an amused look, but that left as his broken arm began to give him problems.

"Sir!" she said from beside him, concerned for his well being.

"I'm fine, though I'll be nursing this for the next few months!" he growled and then whimpered a little when the pain shot through his body.

"What are we going to do with you sir,¨ Ensign Badgiruel had a small smile on her lips because she knew what he was about to say, but they were interrupted.

"Unknown contact! It might be a G-Weapon?" reported Petty Officer Jackie Tonomura.

Both the officers and Chief Petty Officer Arnold Neumann, the helmsmen, looked out to see the Green Frame begin to stand, but a bright light caught their attention.

* * *

**With the GAT-105 Strike about 20 seconds ago**

Kira felt his blood boiling as he tracked the wounded CQUE. He tracked and then he got a lock. Unknowingly he activated the main weapon of the Launcher Striker, the 320mm "Agni" Hyper Impulse Cannon. The shot missed the CQUE for the most part, but the White Knight was now out a sword and right arm. The shot continued on and the chaotic energy stream of cobalt covered crimson energy slammed into the side/ground of the colony and blasted straight through to the other side.

Rau Le Creuset never walked away from a fight in his life. He either won or ran like the demons of hell were on his tail and gaining and that's just what he did. He was thoroughly defeated and out a mobile suit, but he was already thinking of ways to doctor the footage of the Green Frame.

Which inside of the now standing mobile suit, the pilot wasn't fooled by the simple sounding name. He knew he would have to find an Orb ship, preferably a military one. He knew that the Izumo was somewhere around, but knowing the Sahaku twins, especially the male, the ship was most likely long gone.

"Desertion in the face of the enemy is punishable by death _LORD_ Sahaku," and the named man felt a chill as though someone stepped over his grave.

"And as for you Rau Le Creuset, I am not fooled by the name. You shall perish as this Phoenix is reborn," Rau Le Creuset also felt a chill run up his spine.

Sighing as he watched as the ship that had fired several missiles and got one blow in, but a lot of damage elsewhere landed. He was impressed, though, with the use of seven Anti-Mobile Suit missiles to cover one Anti-Air missile. He knew of only one man capable of pulling such a crazy stunt off after that particular combat pattern which should have long ago earned him his own ship.

"Chances are that he and Murrue are now the senior officers of the _Archangel_ Assault Carrier, but I wonder if… well can't expect much more than this, can I," Walton said to himself and the Green Frame.

Then he noticed the Gottfrieds come out of their housings and aim at him. He definitely knew that only a person with lesser training and from a traditional military officer could be so stupid and he knew it could only be one person. He decided to annoy her first.

"_Attention unidentified mobile suit! Identify yourself immediately!"_ it was her and so he simply brought up the Green Frame's right hand after he shouldered the Battle Rifle and made the Green Frame appear to be yawning while he stretched the left arm out.

Murrue Ramius and the others watched from in the hands of the Strike and she giggled at his still childish behavior with authority. The female officer wasn't amused and had three 76mm bursts sent Green Frame's way. The mobile suit just turned around, bent forward, and patted its rear end then brought the right up and extended one finger to give the impression that it was performing a facial expression.

The officer was not amused and ordered the Gottfrieds to fire, but a communications call from the Green Frame came in. She had it transferred to main viewer and what the crew saw, shocked them. The pilot had his hands on orbs inside of a dimly lit cockpit. The pilot wore a green visor and sat in a reclined seat. Little green lights ran along rows through out the cockpit. There were signs of a normal cockpit, but for the most part it looked far different. The cockpit was something straight out of a video game designer's imagination.

The pilot wore a standard suit with Orb military seals on it. He looked to be smirking right at the female officer. He lifted the visor and greeted Ensign Natarle Badgiruel.

"_Hey Natie, long time no see, eh,"_ the ensign promptly turned white and fainted.

"_You'll think that little trait would have left by now?"_ he said to no one in particular.

* * *

**Starboard Hanger Catapult, _AFS Archangel_**

**5 minutes later**

As Lieutenant Ramius stepped out of the Strike's right hand, the senior ranking members of the crew that were not out cold or wounded rushed to welcome her aboard. When she all the remaining seniors were a couple of Chief Petty Officers and a few Petty Officers, she was confused.

"Where are Ensign Badgiruel and the other officers?" she asked.

Chief Petty Officer Neumann answered her, "Ensign Badgiruel is out cold and Lieutenant Howe is in Sickbay with a broken arm ma'am," he paused, then continued, "Making you the most senior of the entire crew Captain sir," he and the others assembled saluted.

"All the other officers and Captain Jenkins can't be dead," she said softly, but then a hissing sound was heard followed by the sounds of a hatch opening.

Everyone looked to see Kira come out of the Strike and use the zip line to reach the deck. Mirillia promptly ran to him and into his arms as both embraced, thankful to be alive. The crews is a bit shocked by the rather open shows of affection, but are more shocked to see a teen piloting the Strike when they noticed the Green Frame's open hatch and its pilot casually strolling up, visor down. He strolled up and then just stood as a new voice entered the hanger.

"My, my… what powerful machines and what a powerful warship. I never knew we had this kind of weapons technology or the means to build it," a tall blonde haired, blue eyed man said.

The man was easily over six feet tall, wearing a standard OMNI Enforcer flight suit that was colored with the normal white body with unusual pink trim with grey outlines. He had a playboy like face and mischievous eyes. He couldn't be any older than Lieutenant Ramius, about his mid-20's. On his shoulder was the patch of the 3rd Lunar Fleet and just below it was the 7th Orbital Fleet's insignia.

"Well, well, the Hawk of Endymion," Ken spoke up, "It has been awhile my old friend."

"Why am I not surprised that you're not dead Ken… Let me think, because I heard you committed suicide, but that sounded wrong. You always carry the baggage of your mistakes and learn from them Lieutenant Commander Kensouke Walton," Lieutenant La Flaga said.

"Actually, it's Kensouke Badgiruel, Walton had been my mother's maiden name," the Master of Shadows said.

"WHAT?" Lieutenant Ramius shouted and wasn't alone.

"At least you're still honest, but just barely," came a growl like voice.

"Oh! Natie, you're finally awake, I must say that is record… CLEAR THE DECK!" and First Lieutenant Badgiruel took off running from his younger sister, who, despite wearing a short and tight skirt, managed to keep up with him, but he had always been a faster runner than her.

Everyone took to laughing momentarily at the comedic scene in front of them. Then when it looked like that Ensign Badgiruel would catch Lieutenant Badgiruel, he doubled back, slipped by her, and hid behind Lieutenant Ramius, leaving a very furious female ensign standing there with looks that could kill. He then stuck his tongue out like a child eliciting more laughs. The ensign blushed with _sheer_ embarrassment.

"I escaped again!" the brother announced.

"One of these days I'll catch you good!" the little sister replied.

"Well anyway, I'm Kensouke Walton, but as stated, my actual name is Kensouke Badgiruel, the young Ensign over there is the younger sister. I'm better known as the Master of Shadows for some of my more crazy and heroic exploits, though I don't know much of the latter part and I go by Walton and I'm a First Lieutenant in the Orb Union National Defense Force," he glanced at the three officers each, "Plus there is a reason why my mobile suit is known as the Green Frame and that reason is that its designed to be a ground model, but boasts some air and space capabilities," 1LT Walton said.

"And I am First Lieutenant Jen Simmons, HDF three-oh-six-three MASH," the female Loot said.

"I see, well I'm Lieutenant Murrue Ramius," she had eyed both military pilots, "Fifth Section Division, Special Operations, Eighth Lunar Fleet."

"I'm Ensign Natarle Badgiruel, same section."

"The kid with the girl is Kira Yamato, an Orb Noble with _very close_ ties to the Athha Family, and the girl is his future wife, Mirillia Haw. The other two boys are Sai Argyle, whose own future wife is Flay Allster, whose father is the Vice Foreign Minister of the Atlantic Federation, George Allster," that shocked the crew," and Kuzzey Buskirk, one of their dearest friends and better known as the Lucky Shot for shooting Lieutenant Ramius' sidearm right out of her hand," both the mention people blush out of embarrassment and then 1LT Walton made sure to look everyone in the eye, "Which means they are under my guard and I will not hesitate to shoot, got it? Good," his voice was colder than any of his three acquaintances had ever heard.

"Stand down Ken, and don't be so rough," Kira spoke.

"It is only a matter of time sir, before word reaches Alaska," 1LT. Walton said worried.

"It doesn't matter, because they do not want to have more enemies then they do now," Kira spoke wisely.

"With those bastards in charge and getting huge untaxed and unlawful paychecks from the Azreal Monopoly, I seriously doubt they want peace with Orb unless Orb becomes a lap dog," it was cleared that the Master of Shadows knew something more than he let on.

"Well in any case Shade, let's, what was it? Make a like a hokey player and get the puck out of here," the Hawk said, using the Master of Shadows nickname.

"Indeed, and don't worry about my machine, it uses a new type of power plant, not batteries, though for safety sake, I do have those already charged and installed," Shade said.

He then held up something and gave it to the Chief Mechanic. The Chief looked at the thing and didn't know whether to make heads or tails of the thing. It was round; black with grey lines that pulsed with purple energy with a black bottom that looked like it could be bolted into something and a light violet color transparent top. The Chief looked at the Loot in front of him bewildered.

"An Artificial Intelligence projector that was to be attached to an Orb _Izumo_-Class Assault Carrier with a standard ship grade smart AI construct stored on a chip," Loot Walton produced the chip, "It was _supposed _to go the _Izumo_, but I work for Lord Athha, not Lord Sahaku, so both Rei the AI and the portable projector were to go on the _Kusanagi_ of the _Izumo_-Class, but it can also go on an _Archangel_-Class due to the two classes likeness."

Chief Murdoch's eyes were wide, in fact, everyone's eyes were wide. A first truly developed ship AI, but one that is apparently very smart. Then a thought occurred to the Chief. How the hell was he going to install a ship AI projector on the _Archangel_?

"And how do I install this here thing," Chief Kojorio Murdoch asked.

"Easy, bolted to the floor on the bridge near the Captain's seat, then weld for extra insurance, and finally get a couple of guys that know both computers and wiring. Once they have it tied into the ship, insert AI and plug projector into the ship and you have a ship with an advance AI Construct," Lieutenant Walton stated as it was obvious, which more or less, it was.

"Then why don't you help?" the Chief asked irritably.

"Because I have to bring Ceres on-line and that's my battle AI for mobile suit warfare and she's named for the Goddess of the Harvest, if I remember correctly," was the reply.

"Well, in any event Zero will be of aid," said the Chief.

"It's Spirit you Numb Nuts!" Kensouke Walton hated it when people thought that Rei's name was Zero and not Spirit, he hated people thinking like that.

"Geez, sorry, like I was supposed to know that!" the Chief growled.

"Sorry, its just, that its prized technology of Orb and the _Izumo_ had turned tail and ran," Walton sighed sadly, "Plus, I learned that the GHQ of the HDF was hit with D-Package, kind of says a lot."

"D-Package Weaponry," someone says in wonder.

"Yeah, but with Rei giving the bridge crew a hand, we should be able to make it to Lunar Headquarters no problems, except for the White Knight hounding us at every turn conceivable or not," 1LT Walton said.

"Right, then, let's get started and ready for departure," Acting Captain Murrue Ramius ordered, she had accepted the inevitability of her assuming command with one senior officer who was a straight line pilot and the other senior officer wounded and unable to command.

As everyone readied for battle, Kira and his friends were led to a room to rest. The MASH Loot went to work in Sickbay and tend to any injured that were in there, but as for Walton, being a pilot meant he was on combat alert. He simply began to run a maintenance check on his mobile suit, but the mechanics noticed something. He had a tendency to look almost as though there was something _under_ the mobile suits armor. They shrugged it off as a man double checking the prototype's frame.

As the crew readied themselves to take the battle to the enemy, three hour had passed before they were completely sure they could do so. This was a result from the ship being undermanned and the ship's crew mostly being made up of civilian technicians who had not the first clue as to how to wage war.

Another hour passed and still, the ship sat and waited to depart. The Acting Captain had been, unsuccessfully been trying to negotiate the opening of at least one shelter to put her civilian passengers in. It was all a moot point as the firing of the 320mm Hyper Impulse Cannon 'Agni' practically shut down all the shelters with a declaration of Hazard Level Nine and with the destruction of the Heliopolis Defense Force General Headquarters, the ship had been requested to _take_ _on__more_ civilians. Unfortunately for Murrue Ramius, Lord Kira Yamato agreed to take on the civilians, but he also agreed to pilot the Strike.

An hour later and as the last of the civilians board with a few HDF troops and vehicles, the hatches are locked and sealed, but Kensouke Walton slips away to go and see an old friend.

* * *

**_Archangel_ Sickbay**

Lieutenant (Senior Grade) Richard Jonathan Howe rested on his bed thinking about how much damage a ship commanded by unseasoned combat personnel with a crew that borderline militia due to the large number of non-military personnel being on board to be part of the crew… He stopped thinking about it as it gave him a headache. He heard some soft chuckling and knew it to be one man. As he looked he was saw the man. He saw the familiar brownish-black hair, the Asian like features that were mixed with Caucasian features such as his sky blue eyes and his Caucasian based colored skin. The man stood at 6'2" was lean, but slightly muscular; obliviously he still hated the body builder look that he always said made a man too big for his own good. He was wearing a loose fitting flight suit that had been made to incorporate an odd fashion gee-suit, but it was tight enough not to be a hindrance in anyway.

"Still hate the current concept of technology and that we can't go head to head with Coordinators on their terms," it wasn't a question, but a statement.

"Still have that stick up your pipe?" came the response, the tone laced with sarcasm and humorous pun.

"Don't remind me!" the two Loots began to converse.

"Eyes still changing colors?" asked the Navy Loot.

"As always since I was there and did what I did… Thanks for covering for me Rick, I needed all the friends I could get," the Army Loot said.

"Ken, we've been best friends forever, I know when you mean something and when you don't… It was a nightmarish wake up call for us all that horrible day," Rick said.

"So many and for what? A war no one really was prepared for or wanted. What were they thinking arming and using… How in the hell did they managed to get their filthy hands on three nukes with their codes? I thought that stuff was safe, but then again, Azreal Foundation, Industry, whatever, makes all of the arms used by the Alliance or rather many by the Atlantic Federation, the South African Union, and enough equipment that the other members have no choice, but to buy from them," Ken was beginning to tear up.

"Hey, listen up!" for emphasis Rick hit Ken on the head.

"OWW! What was that for!" Ken yelled.

"We have a war to win dumb nuts! No time to be having a pity party!" Rick yelled.

"Yeah, you're right, I guess this situation is starting to get to me, but Kira's a good kid and he made some good calls, but allowing… I wonder though now that I think about if he could be Piece Number One?" Ken thought.

"From what I heard, keep him safe Shade and show them what you're made of," Rick said.

After that, the two lightly conversed on many subjects including some embarrassing times they had together. They continued to talk for about an hour, but then the alarms went off and Kensouke Walton was out the door in a heartbeat. The sounds of the ship getting ready for battle sounding in his ears and LT (SG) Howe was on his way to the bridge.

"Better show Murrue how a real captain operates with the unknown. She may be Halberton's student, but she is no Halberton," Loot Howe said as he finished dressing himself for battle, even with a broken arm, he had been like Kensouke Walton, both had served in the SEALs and the Infantry.

* * *

**Interior of the Heliopolis Colony, open area around the _AFS Archangel_**

A dozen ZAFT mobile suits swarm in, intent on destroying the white ship they had since nicknamed the 'Legged-Ship.' The remaining members of the Le Creuset Team had been reinforced with a couple of nearby _Luarasia_-Class warships. These three ships had only twelve mobile suits between three of them, but combined with the few remaining ZGMF-1017 GINNs from the Le Creuset Team.

The force of fifteen mobile suits began their attack run as soon as they cleared the new hole they had just created in the side of the colony. They saw the Green Frame fly out to meet them, sporting its battle rifle, but a hard point could be seen and it was holding what appeared to be a beam weapon along the right hip. Then there appeared to be some kind of weapon mounted on the left shoulder. Then the GAT-X303 Aegis, or as ZAFT command will come to call the ZGMF-X070 Aegis, appeared.

The Green Frame was already tearing through the GINNS when a couple more mobile suits appeared on the prototype Orb Assault Shuttles. They were the Athha's answer to the Sahuku's Red, Blue, and Gold Astrays. They were the Orb-03 Orca and the Orb-04 Dolphin. They were multi-role mobile suits designed for conventional and unconventional warfare. As Lt. Walton watched, but suits tore by him and began approach procedures for landing on the _Archangel_.

* * *

**Bridge of the _AFS Archangel_**

"Who are those guys?" asked Ensign Badgiruel.

"Unknown ma'am," replied PO Pal.

"_They're Orb soldiers, most likely technicians with the Orca and Dolphin, Orb mobile suits commissioned by the Athha Family, but I don't see the ORB-Two Lion anywhere, I can only assume the worst and pray for the best,"_ Lt. Walton's face appeared on the main screen.

"Open up the hanger and give them clearance to land," ordered Lt. Howe as he stepped next to the command chair, despite his wounds, he would command the ship as proper officer would.

"Uh, yes sir!" Lt. Ramius said as she vacated the command chair so that the ship's captain could sit.

"Go assist the CIC. Lieutenant La Flaga get up here and join the helm. Rei, take over control of the weapon systems and show them what this ship and you are made of!" Lt. Howe ordered Lt. Ramius, Lt. La Flaga and the Computer AI.

The two officers saluted and quickly took their seats. Rei merely smiled and disappeared back into projector, but two GINNs found out the hard way how well she could shoot. Both the helmsmen, impromptu and regular, began to get ready for the evasion techniques that would be required to escape death here. They had to work well together and in tandem if they wanted to survive this battle. Already they could see the two shuttles docking with the _Archangel_ as Rei also guided the two shuttles in with the mechanics down in the hanger bay. An explosion caught the bridge crew's attention and they saw the Strike had launched and destroyed two GINNs with one mighty slash of the 15.78 meter 'Schwert Gewehr' anti-ship blade, while the Green Frame was currently tangling with six more at once and single handedly winning.

* * *

**The battlefield, Green Frame**

The battle looked like it might fail for the once mighty strike force, but Lt. Walton noticed the level of damage being inflicted on the colony. He knew well that ZAFT didn't have an Officer Candidate School and that the average ZAFT soldier was actually trained drilled slightly better than a militiaman, but still they rated as such from their lack of continued military drill and a proper organized military command. They only had five ranks. Those ranks were defined by their uniforms which were green, red, black, tan, and white, but the tan was really meant to identify ZAFT ground forces rather than an actual rank.

Still, it was only through sheer leadership ineptitude at OMNI Enforcer GHQ for the Alliance to be losing this war and so badly. The mobile suit, despite its effectiveness, had serious drawbacks in its design which would enabled even the average OMNI Enforcer desk clerk to destroy a few before ZAFT sent in their own desk clerks to stop them. Since the tactics being used to fight the ZAFT were meant for trench warfare, the ZAFT easily overcame the front lines with shocking ease to those who were too stupid to see the idiotism at which the war was being waged. To compound the problem, the top brass had planned for the war to be over in six weeks, not wage for nearly a year after the declaration of war. The Alliance was just not prepared for a prolonged war and neither was ZAFT.

* * *

**The bridge of the _Archangel_**

"_Kira do you hear?"_ Lt. Walton could be heard radioing the young man.

"_Yes, but I'm a bit busy! Who is this guy?"_ Kira could be seen in a tough fight with a ZAFT GINN with an Ion Cannon.

"_I'm betting a year's pay that's Miguel Aimen, the Magic Bullet of Dusk, probably some stupid variant of saying Magic Bullet of Death, pretty weak if you ask me, but its original, I'll concede that since there are quite literally thousands known as death, but that's off topic."_

"_How can that be off topic?"_

"_Simple, ZAFT is a militia, but is a militia a defense force of part-time farmer- soldiers or an offensive force of professional soldiers that are full time?"_

"_The fore mention, because for them to be full time professionals they would have to have a more organized and strong command authority with a defined mission broken down into separate branches of service, and be on duty, not call, twenty-four-seven."_

"_Wrong Kira, you just described the Neutrals' militaries, the Alliance, _and_ ZAFT. Professional soldiers are taught more than just how to walk in a straight line and shoot in one direction, true ZAFT does have that, but most of their ranks will be going home when the war ends. Today's militia looks somewhat similar to a regular military force, but it has a lot less paper work which is created from the fact that they are taught less in the over all grand scheme of things."_

"_I see what you mean, the training difference and teaching difference such as diplomacy is skipped so that the ZAFT soldier could be trained faster and do to their color ranking system, they have very few officers and non-commissioned officers, so they are highly informal and without an OCS they have little combat doctrine short of just fight and kill the enemy."_

"_Still that's not much of a difference, especially with how little training the Alliance is getting now and days, but the Alliance is an always ready force on call when they are not even needed, while the ZAFT soldiers are not on call when not needed. It is difficult to tell the difference, but look at this attack, the ZAFT are using the wrong ordnance, correct?"  
_

"_Confirmed, the weapons are too bulky to fight us and the _Archangel_, they just see it as more power to win the battle. This shows a lack of higher combat training from beyond basic combat instruction."_

"_I see I have managed to open your eyes from the Seiran and the Sahaku way of waging war, its not just power or numbers, but those and endurance, strength, skill, strategy, cunning, compassion, intelligence, planning, and many more. We know what we're up against and have a defensive plan in place, but they have a wild guess based on the stolen machines, which is unlikely at this time, and are believing to be fighting only two Naturals, not one Natural with a high level of combat training and combat experience, not to mention I know my machine and have a highly advance combat support AI. I've also been to two Officer Candidate Schools and I'm highly motivated to defend my territory and friends and allies. Then there's you Kira."_

"_I'm a Coordinator with some combat training and command decision making, but just the basics and some intermediate training, but I know computers and technology like the back of my hand and I have something to defend and fight for!"_

The bridge crew watched as Kira won by throwing the beam boomerang 'Midas Messer.' The GINN dodged the beam boomerang and took aim, stopping still in the central space of the cylindrical colony interior, but the boomerang came back, taking off both legs at the knees and Kira used that moment to slice his opponent in two. The bridge crew was in awe at the strength and skill of Kira Yamato.

* * *

**The battlefield, the Aegis**

In the cockpit of the Aegis, Red Coat Athrun Zala was in shell shock. His boyhood friend had just killed a number of Athrun's ZAFT comrades. Athrun was shaking with suppressed rage as he saw what was left of Miguel Aimen's mobile suit fall in pieces before him. The two mobile suits were beginning to take their toll and the few that attack the Legged-Ship were being destroyed with absurd ease. This shouldn't be happening was going through his mind as the Green Frame drew a knife from its hip and yet another ZAFT pilot met his maker as the knife was plunged into the cockpit as the pilot couldn't bring to bear his Ion Cannon.

Athrun charged at the Strike intent on finding out Kira's reason for killing fellow Coordinators, if it was indeed Kira Yamato. Athrun called the Strike and Kira responded soundly mildly surprised. Athrun then demanded answers, but all Kira did was turn his blade towards the Aegis.

"_Leave Athrun, leave and take your forces with you,"_ Athrun was shocked by the coldness in his friend's voice.

"_Kira what is wrong with you! You're a Coordinator like us! Why are you attacking us?"_ Athrun wanted answers.

"_Is that how you address all the children of leading political families! Heliopolis is my home Red Coat Zala! You dare launch an unprovoked attack, and probably with flimsy evidence, against a neutral, and might I add, sorveign member state of the Orb Union! This is an act of war!"_

"_Kira you're a Coordinator!"_

"_And we've taken in hundreds of ZAFT deserters and their families! They're Coordinators! They want, like those of us in the Orb Union, peace and no part of your war of misguided hate!"_

"_Kira…"_

"_My family gained control of Heliopolis, as an Orb Noble, I must protect my people, my state's citizens, and the citizens of Orb as a whole. Leave or die, your choice Athrun."_

"_I can't let the Alliance have those machines and that ship Kira… You are an enemy."_

"_Sorry you feel that way Athrun… I guess we'll about even when it comes to training, but I believe you might just have a little more experience, but this is my home, I will give it my all, sorry Athrun and I hope you can someday forgive me, but I cannot allow you to kill anymore of my people."_

"_Kira…"_

"_Athrun…"

* * *

_

**The battlefield around the _Archangel_**

As the four remaining GINNs began their attacks on the Archangel, they knew from the get go they were in for a tough fight. The ship's captain was calling out orders that enabled the ship's helmsmen to evade their fire and bring the defense weapons to bear. Since the two that carried the only Ion Cannons in the six had been destroyed, they remaining four were firing missiles and dodging counter fire and missiles. They found that the AA missiles flying at them would self-destruct before hitting the colony, but had no qualms about hitting them. One of the GINNs was hit about eight missiles at once and one of his bunker busters launched and smashed into the colony's support shaft.

The ship began to use just defensive guns to avoid anymore damage as a few of its missiles didn't self-detonate in time and slammed into various parts of the colony, inflecting lighter damage than what the GINNs could do, but damage none the less.

Another of the GINNS decided to try an attack from below, but the underside AA guns came to life and the pilot panicked and lost control of his mobile suit while trying to compensate for the damage his mobile suit took and slammed right into the colony's main industrial complex, right smack into the foundries that produced thirty percent of the Orb Union Space Defense Force's munitions. The explosion was great as was the destruction.

The GINNs that had been attacking the Archangel were now reduced to two and the two ZAFT pilots knew that they wouldn't stand much of chance at this rate. Both the pilots were veteran green uniforms, Olor and Matthews. Both knew that now that most of their original fifteen mobile suits were gone, they stood little chance.

* * *

**The battlefield, Green Frame**

In the Green Frame, Lt. Walton was livid. The damage to the colony was getting worst by the second and he knew that the Support Shaft would only need one or two more hits before it was destroyed. With that gone, the colony would fall apart, literally coming apart at the seams.

"I can't allow that to happen… I mustn't allow that to happen!" Lt. Walton swore, but knew it would most likely be in vain, but he had only two choices and that was to succeed or fail, there was no middle ground and no trying, only succeed or fail.

One thing did sit well with him, the _Archangel_. The ship was moving like a medium bomber and stopping all the ZAFT ordnance it could. He smiled. He always knew that Howe was a smart and capable officer. Hell, it would take a week or so to name all the battles they were in together, mostly covert and against Blue Cosmos, and it would take him a month to name all the people they saved. Back before the war, Lt. Howe had been a Lieutenant Commander and commanded a frigate in the space fleet and like days long ago, he was a fully independent commander with a fully independent command, but after the formation of the Alliance, he was reduced in rank to a Lieutenant Senior Grade and lost his command, hell he lost frontline posting altogether, but Admiral Halberton had personally seen to this battle hardened officer's return, even if it was only paper work on the G-Weapons Project.

Now here was the _Archangel_, dancing like his old _Drake_-Class Frigate, the _AFS United States_. It had been a long time since a ship had borne that name, not since the Napoleonic Wars where the _USS United States_ was a super Frigate of the fledging American Navy, nicknamed by the great sea power of the time, Britain, as the Bastard Navy, save for the great naval war hero of Britain, Admiral Horitao Nelson. He had somehow known that the six super Frigates of the American Navy would best the British Fleet with surprising ease and boy did it ever. It wasn't until the _Chesapeake_ had been defeated that the United States Navy's winning streak ended, but started almost back up again, but the _Chesapeake_ was an average Frigate, freshly launched with a fresh crew and commander who did not know their ship and there was evidence of sub-standard materials being used in her construction with some reportedly dated cannons.

Lt. Walton shook his head, it was not time to go into the great history of the past when ships fought one another to the death and Frigates could go wherever their captains wanted. It was now a time of technology and science over honor and courage. Commanders not fought in skirmishes and large pitch battles. Not the legendary fire and maneuver tactics of old or the dueling of two ships between one another or even infantry firing by volleys. It was cold precision and even colder kills.

"At least the mobile suit provides something to look forward too… the return of honor-bound soldiers, eh partner?" Walton asked his machine.

"Confirming heavy damage of the Main Support Shaft… Structure failure from this battle imminent. Suggest launching of the life boats." Ceres recommended.

"Dammit! Authorize omega-Six-four-one-two-delta-gamma-alpha-tango-three! First Lieutenant Kensouke Walton, Orb Ground National Defense Force, Thirtieth Mechanized Infantry Division, Special Forces Team Fifteen Phantom Squad! Enact emergency protocol to protect Orb citizens and secrets! Initiate!" Lt. Walton knew what he had just ordered.

'If the colony is going down, then I'm denying ZAFT the feel that they just won a battle, sucks for you White Knight!' Lt. Walton thought as the life boats were launched and explosions began to erupt.

"Kira, RTB, the colony is lost and is going under!" he called out.

"_Roger! RTB!"_ Kira responded.

"See you aboard ship kid," Lt. Walton started back only to hear his radio come to life again.

"_Kira stop! Return with me to the _Vesalius_ with me!"_

"_No I won't! As a Noble of Orb of the Sixth Family I refuse to work with ZAFT!"_

"_Kira! The Naturals put that nonsense into your head! There IS no sixth family of Orb Nobles!"_

"_Get out of my way Athrun!"_

Then a flash caught Lt. Walton's attention, pulling him away from the argument over the radio. He watched as the Archangel was now braced for the explosive decompression that was about to begin, because the last GINN hand been destroyed, but the missiles had gone wild and now the Support Shaft had had it. It snapped under the pressure and high intense flames from ZAFT ordnance. At times like this, Loot Walton was glad he wore the Yamato Family Crest on all his gear since his division was mostly composed of troops from the areas governed by the Yamato Family and all the men were proud to serve the kind and generous and very patriotic Yamatos.

The seals were lend credence to Lt. Howe's report to the Alaska. The report would state that the colony was destroyed by ZAFT, in a way that was true, but the early explosions that had started to occur about the time that ZAFT finally destroyed the colony would not be so easy to explain, but still, Lt. Walton had successfully denied the ZAFT the right to gloat that they destroyed an enemy colony. The colony's self-destruction would still be interfered by the damage inflicted by ZAFT, but it would be only a small problem in the eventual reconstruction of the colony as was the purpose of the self-destruct charges placed secretly in certain areas of the colony. Walton smiled as he boarded the Archangel and took out a pen and paper and wrote down Heliopolis and placed a twelve by it. As soon as the items were stored, the smile left his face.

"How many more must I destroy before one of them falls on Earth or crashes into a PLANT to end this stupid war?" he asked allowed, thankful only Ceres would hear him.

Outside he could hear the ZAFT pilot and the Orb Noble call out to one another with a worry only deep friendship could hope to bring as the colonies destruction separated the once good friends.

"Lord Kira is like Princess Cagalli… They are fiercely protective of Orb," Kensouke Badgiruel allowed the tears to flow as he allowed himself the moment to remember all those that had died, because of what he did on…

* * *

Evil Cliffhanger! Don't even think to ask what's next, because it's a secret!

Now we are introduced to the past of Kensouke Walton. A former Alliance mobile armor pilot, in reality a Badgiruel, and a man loyal to the Yamato family and Orb as a whole. We learn that he believes in Scorch Earth Tactics, he's very knowledgeable about history, and that he believes in honor. We also learn that he was a Navy SEAL in the Atlantic Federal Fleet and served in the infantry with the Atlantic Federal Army. What more secrets are hidden by this one man?

We also meet Lieutenant Senior Grade Richard Howe, an old friend of Walton. It appears he had been one more rank up with a frigate command that appears it might have been independent of fleet command during operations, but with the formation of the OMNI Enforcer, better known as the Earth Alliance, he was demoted and sent to the deep rear seated at a desk doing paperwork for god knows what! Then Admiral Halberton rescues the man from a fate worst than death itself, still doing paperwork, but at least he's in a project that intends to make a difference in the war.

We also see a radical change in Kira. From a kind young man to a young man that is still kind, but knowing the weight of his position in the government of Orb. As a Noble of Orb, Kira appears to be very responsible and battle ready to defend his homeland, a far departure from all we know of Kira, he is sort of like a quiet Cagalli, not so loud and brash, but still as protective of Orb.

Now don't forget to read and review and enjoy the tidbit of historical information!

Oh yeah! I'm a history nut that knows I have a long road ahead if I wish to call myself an expert or even a scholar of history and only the idea of the story is derived from Solid Shark's work and is in no way intended to be a copy cat. I got the name Kensouke from Neon Genesis Evangelion. Also, as stated there will be a little difference here from anything that anyone else writes.


	3. Setting the Chess

Disclaimer: I do not own Mobile Suit Gundam: SEED.

Note: I'm working on creating several different paths that would have happened if this was changed or that was changed. Basically quite a bit of theories and conjecture about the story we have all come to love and alter.

"_**The Ender named Zone"**_

_**Phase Three: "Silent Run"**_

* * *

__

**Among the remains of what had been an Island Type-3 Colony named Heliopolis and territory of Orb Union at Lagrange Point 3, Reference Area 03-98-04**

**Time Unknown due to lose of Heliopolis and computer software glitch in the programs of the GAT-X105 Strike**

**Date Known: January 25****th****, Year 71 of the Cosmic Era or 2115 Amino Dimino**

* * *

Kira Yamato was praying to whoever would listen and would grant their blessings towards his survival. He had just survived one hell of a roller coaster ride and he _HATED_ roller coasters as much as the Lioness of Orb hated dresses and being called Princess. Yet, when all the bucking and rolling ended, all he could see was destruction, his home was gone and shock claimed him. Heliopolis, his home was gone and there was nothing he could do. He just sat there, in shock, asking if the situation was real or not, that was until the guff voice of the Archangel's captain finally got through the thick haze of confusion, shock, and despair with the old fashion.

"_HELLLLOOOOOO! ANYONE AWAKE IN THE X-ONE-OH-FIVE STRIKE!"_

* * *

The bucking and rolling of the _Archangel_ had long since settled and the GAT-X105 Strike had also returned, with a damaged escape pod, but for First Lieutenant Kensouke Walton (Badgiruel), he had finally returned to the world of the living. When the _Archangel_ had started to dance, he was desperately trying to keep his mobile suit from crashing into something or someone; instead it did a face plant right into the walkway behind the mobile suit dock that had been meant for the GAT-X103 Buster. For 1Lt. Walton, he got some much needed rest for the next several hours, but also some unwanted problems including a broken right leg.

"DAMN IT!" he yelled when the pain registered in his head and he saw his leg in a cast.

"My first broken bone, rio grande! Frak! That's gonna itch in the mornin'!" to say he was annoyed was an understatement.

"So you're awake," Kira said as he entered with Mirillia Haw.

"Yeah, fat good though with my leg broken," he grumped.

"More like cracked in several places, even a Coordinator's bones can take only about eight hundred pounds before breaking, but the estimate was yours took at least nine hundred-twenty pounds," a civilian doctor said as he entered.

"Good to see you Doctor Schmidt," Lt. Walton said.

"You too, but it looks like you were right. Milk and meat do have a level of influence as long as it's balanced out with fruit and vegetables and breads. Even the average Coordinator doesn't eat right, because they are so 'superior'" Doctor Heinreich Schmidt said with sarcasm.

"Don't forget heavy training spaced out over a period of time to neither bulk up or weigh more than necessary, to keep the best balance one can attain through consent training and exercise and the fact that I used to do some outdoors stuff when I was young," Lt. Walton said.

"I'll say!" Ensign Natarle Badgiruel entered looking pissed.

"Let me guess, don't scare you like that," it was a questioned.

"Very," was deadpanned back, meaning either much so or very yes so, probably both.

* * *

**Hanger Deck**

* * *

"Chief Murdoch!" one of the young mechanics yelled for the man.

"Yeah what?" Chief Petty Officer and Chief Flight Mechanic, Kojiro Murdoch, the only one to survive of the Flight Chiefs, called back.

"I think you should take a look at the Green Frame sir," the response came from one of the older surviving engineers from Morgenroete.

Sighing and pushing himself up and towards the wounded mobile suit, he arrived and immediately saw what he had been called for.

"What the hell? How is that possible?" was the first two things the Chief asked as he looked at the MBF-01G Green Frame.

The wounded mobile suit with battle damage and collision damage from being flung about the hanger had nary a scratch on it. It look factory fresh, even the light grey paint job that protected the metallic frame when Phase Shift was not in use was looking factory fresh. Yet, the thing was from the several good size Green Frame indentions in the hanger walls and the many other areas where the mobile suit had collided during the destruction of Heliopolis, there should be lots of damage compounded by battle damage and the fact that the engineers and mechanics had only just gotten to repairing the mobile suit once they had everything sorted and the less damaged machines repaired and ready to go on another sortie. Yet, here was MBF-01G Green Frame, without even so much as a nick on it.

* * *

**Bridge**

* * *

The main discussion on the bridge was the MBF-01G. Apparently the Green Frame of the Orb Union's secret Astray Mobile Suit Project was self-repairing, probably anything short of a limb lost or some such level of heavy damage. The cockpit was also sealed tight and the pilot was apparently in the mood not to listen to orders from Kira Yamato who he held in high esteem as the heir of the Sixth Noble Family of Orb. So the discussion went back and forth.

"I really wasn't all that privy to the specifics," Kira was honest, "but as for the two other machines, I know nothing, but the fact that they have their names says they were the Athha's part of the Project though they look kinda like a cross between the Strike and the Buster and Blitz."

That was an understatement. Both the ORB-03 Orca and the ORB-04 Dolphin were indeed crossed with the three types, but looked almost exactly the same as the Strike, but with the an eerie similarity to the GAT-X103 Buster and –X207 Blitz armor configuration design, but were still clearly based off the GAT-X105 Strike. The Orca looked like a rather evil looking version of the Strike as it was based off the Blitz's tactical concept, but weapons systems on both arms were detachable.

The Green Frame was truly a one of a kind machine. It had been discovered that the armor was actually hiding something, but they couldn't figure out what as the armor would 'heal' just as fast as a new hole to see inside was made, actually faster according to Chief Murdoch. That was plain crazy, but even Rei was tight lipped to the point of threatening to space everyone down in the hanger and in other areas of the ship as well, namely where there were generally only Atlantic Federation sailors and marines. That ended all questioning on the Green Frame's design and purpose, but not its weaponry.

"Let's see, it has a one hundred-five millimeter recoilless bazooka, a seventy-six point one millimeter burst fire only battle rifle called the M-One," Lieutenant Mu La Flaga gave a rueful shake of his head, not wanting to continue, but Ensign Badgiruel did.

"A fifty-seven millimeter beam rifle with an attachment component for a one hundred-seventy-five millimeter grenade launcher, two beam sabers, and enough munitions to keep it in battle for several hours and then there is the one-hundred millimeter machine gun with, unlike the battle rifle's thirty-three rounds, sixty rounds and a collapsible butt stock and the twin seventy-six millimeter head mounted "Eagle's Talon" which is no different from our own Igelstellung Close In Weapons Systems we use on our ships, at our bases, and on the Strike," the woman shook her head as she knew how much her brother loved the Bald Eagle and other birds of prey in general.

"Then there are the throwing knives and combat knives and it there also appears to be attachments for weapons like the ZAFT Heavy Swords," Lieutenant Murrue Ramius finished off.

"Quite the heavy combat machine and has the ability to use the Striker Packs from the looks of it," Acting Captain Howe said.

"With a computer AI, two no less when the second is added, and a lot of hard points, damn," LT La Flaga only shook his head; the Green Frame was truly amazing!

"Now for the escape plan," Captain Howe had everyone listening to him, "We will _not_ retreat in the face of the enemy, merely withdraw and mount a counter strike _behind_ enemy lines."

Mouths hung open at that idea. It was simply not done! To take an undermanned ship full of refugees, lacking supplies, etc, etc on the _offensive_ behind enemy lines! Still Mu La Flaga had a smile on his face that said, '_I like this captain more than a busty brunette._'

At the same moment, Lt. Ramius twisted the only mobile armor pilot's ear for no apparent reason… well maybe for looking at her chest with a perverted smile. He howled in pain that could be heard all the way in the Sick Bay.

"Reason Two of why I dated and thought about asking her. She isn't some kind of one nighter or a do look, but don't touch type," Kensouke Walton smiled remembering when she had done that to him, but in his case it had been a mistake. His smile grew as he remembered what happened to that guy she had been with at the time though. He learned very quickly not to piss off Murrue Ramius.

Back up on the bridge, with Lt. La Flaga dealt with by Lt. Ramius, Captain Howe explained his plan.

"The enemy expects us to run towards the Moon or Artemis, therefore I plan to attack the PLANTs themselves, minimally, just enough so our mudders, wet sailors, and air dales have some breathing room and to cause a political change to the PLANTs by ensuring that warmonger Patrick Zala cannot become Chairman of the PLANTs," Captain Howe was quite the tactician Lt. La Flaga observed.

"I see," said Kira, knowing he'd have to fight.

"Probably not Lord Yamato, but I digress and shall explain in my detail," Howe was prompt with reasoning and his reasons and everyone nodded that what he said did make sense, a lot actually.

"In the end that bastard Le Creuset would be recalled and have to explain the damage to the rear forces for leaving his patrol zone for so long," La Flaga liked that idea and would pay to see the White Knight explain that one away.

"The most anti-Natural in ZAFT, Patrick Zala won't become Chairman and then throw ZAFT and the PLANTs fully behind the war," Kira sounded happy on that note.

"And we're escape, make contact with ally forces, and amassed an impressive battle record while scoring major blows against ZAFT," the grin on Ensign Badgiruel's face was pure evil _and_ inside her head, she was performing a happy dance.

Murrue Ramius was no different as she thought how pleased her teacher would be. They would return with the badly needed data, one G-Weapon, kicking ZAFT around and be home in time for command to pin their posthumous medals on their living, breathing bodies! Plus she might just get some alone time to talk and possibly restart with Kensouke Walton-Badgiruel. The only difference from the young ensign was the dreamy smile instead of an evil smile.

All the three males at the planning board on another deck of the bridge moved away for the moment from the two women.

* * *

**Aboard the **_**ZMS Gamow**_

* * *

Three of the redcoats of the Le Creuset Team that were assigned to the _Gamow_ sat in the now nearly empty pilot's room. All the belongings of their fellows had already been collected to be sent back their families. It had been a sad sight for the three, but they at least had four of the six machines, even if the sixth belonged to a neutral, they couldn't let it escape.

"Well the commander blew when it came to using the D-Package weapons," Nicol Amafli said, which was out of character for the boy, but the other two didn't make any sort of mention about it.

"How so?" asked a recent addition to the ships crew, some green coat technician who had been asking questions about the operation, a typical intelligence spook from the Homeland.

"He used D-Package weaponry, not my choice for a running battle in a confined area, but as far as the Council will most likely know, it was the use of the Legged Ship's cannons that brought the colony down, that's what's going to be said, most likely under Councilman Zala's orders, even though they wouldn't _exactly_ be necessary," the other two red coats didn't say anything as it was true, but they did nod.

"It seems that may be true, but what do you think the enemy will do?" the spook never even realized his cover was broken the moment his mouth opened.

"Probably go on the offensive," the spook snorted, but Yzak Joule spoke.

"Nicol can be a real genius when it comes to strategy. That's one of the main reasons that got him into this team, but still," Yzak paused, then spoke again, "that depends on their supplies and rather or not they're carrying refugees, most likely they'll head for the L-Four Colony Cluster then to the Lunar Base," Yzak finished.

"True, so then L-Four it is," Nicol agreed, but had the bad feeling they were wrong.

"Good," spoke Dearka Elsmen, "I get to play with my new suit a little more, the damn targeting system is _very_ touchy. Looks like a Morgenroete system combined with an Atlantic Federation OS, not smart in the least."

* * *

**Bridge of the **_**ZMS Vesalius

* * *

**_

"Hmm…" Commander Rau Le Creuset was in deep thought.

"Sir?" Captain Fredrick Ades looked nervous, but when a colony goes to pieces and your command is involved, anyone would be nervous.

"Deploy the newly arrived Dakota Team to Block the route to L-Four, the _Gamow_ will block the route to Artemis with us, and have the Wash Team block the route to Ptolemaeus Lunar Base, and the remaining ships to picket the route to the Moon in general," Commander Le Creuset had decided on his plans, but for some reason he had a foreboding feeling.

"Correction, have the _Nazca_ herself cover the potential route to the homeland," Commander Le Creuset was ready.

"Yes sir," Captain Ades responded as he gave the orders.

* * *

**Bridge of the **_**AFS Archangel**_

* * *

"Fools are probably guarding and picketing every route between here, the Moon, Artemis, and the L-Four Colony Cluster," Captain Howe spoke dryly as the Archangel was coasting from her position using only her maneuvering thrusters.

"_That's good Captain,"_ Lt. Ramius said from her position on the Secondary Bridge, the command seat.

"Not really, we'll encounter at least one ship, most likely a _Nazca_-Class on our intended route, but that would be _IF_ we were heading for the Coordinator Homeland right off the bat, but instead, _we're going hunting!_" Captain Howe had had his crew change from their Atlantic Federation Naval Forces Whites into red coats with black vests and white trousers for the men and the women wore navy blue coats instead of red coats, but the outfit was the same.

"Once we're clear, we sound the horn and fox hunting season is officially open!" Captain Howe sounded jovially his English heritage showing through even though he was from Boston, Massachusetts.

The crew looked to their captain as his green eyes shown with mirth and merry making. His black hair was finely kept, and he looked every part of a late 18th Century, early 19th Century frigate captain. He was rough looking, but had a certain air about him that made him seem more English nobleman than high seas terror, broad shoulder, tall and built, but not overly, side burns and a mustache. He was a fine officer and gentleman and stayed true to a complex system of honor and morals, but he did have an eccentric part about him.

Yet, the most surprising detail about him was that if he stood next to Captain Fredrick Ades, captain of the Vesalius, they would look something alike, but the latter was not as built and was slightly shorter and lacked the mustache and his sideburns were more pronounced.

* * *

As the ship moved, Kira Yamato, heir of the Yamato Family, Sixth Noble Family of Orb, looked at his red and white flight suit. He was on call for battle and had to be amazed at how fast the crew had been able to make red and blue hunting outfits, then again, you had a former infantry mudder and an ex-Navy SEAL, if there were such things, you'll be amazed with what people can do on a ship. Still, he had to admit that some of their ideas were plain crazy, but it seemed that they were only pretending to be either crazy or eccentric, probably both, but still pretending for he saw it in their eyes; they kept things quietly to themselves.

'_Sometimes, the hardest thing Kira to find is right in front of you. Not everything has to be hidden in some secret location, but you can hide it in plain sight and it may never be found,'_ Kira remembered Ken's words of wisdom on deception. Indeed, it was true, but there was another term as were, the Diamond in the Rough.

* * *

And that was being played out right now. The ship coasted right past the ZMS _Nazca_ and the crew of the _Nazca_ never noticed them. The ship continued on its way. Simply coasting; until they were far beyond the maximum range of ZAFT's sensors after three days of coasting. Then the _Archangel's_ engines roared to life, at least roaring to the crew of the ship as there was never any sound in space, and the ship that ZAFT had named the 'Legged Ship' was now in ZAFT's vulnerable rear areas. 


	4. Shadow 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Mobile Suit Gundam: SEED.

Note: I'm working on creating several different paths that would have happened if this was changed or that was changed. Basically quite a bit of theories and conjecture about the story we have all come to love and alter.

"_**The Ender named Zone"**_

_**Phase Three: "Shadow Revelations, Part One"**_

* * *

__

**Remains of Resource Dock 29, Ruins of Heliopolis  
2113 hours Ship Standard Time  
January 26, Year 71 of the Cosmic Era or 2115 Amino Domino**

* * *

"Status," a man with reddish-blonde hair and blue eyes asked.

"Green across the board," a young redheaded with green eyes woman replied.

"Power levels stable," another young redheaded with green eyes as well woman reported.

"Detecting ZAFT ships just outside, three in all, no mobile suits detected, but cannot confirm ship class or mobile suit status or CAP," a young man with hazel hair and brown eyes reported

"Supplies are at maximum," reported another young man, but with chestnut hair with the bangs dyed green and steel grey eyes, followed by the rest of the reports of a ship now ready for launch.

"We are go captain," a woman with long blue hair and emerald green eyes replied.

After surveying the bridge upon which he would command his new ship, the captain nods. Unspoken orders are carried out. Then the ship is truly ready for launch.

"All hands report ready!" the blunette reports.

"Alright everyone! War is a contact sport! Let us go and sack the enemy's defensive line and win one for the gipper!" cheers follow the captain's words as the ship is sealed tight and braced for the following explosions.

"Detonate the breach charges! _Assault Carrier_ _**Thoroughbred**_," a heartbeat, _**"**__**LAUNCH**__**!"**_

"Aye, aye!" the chorus of the entire ship's complement responds.

Outside the ship in the ruin dry dock charges begin to go off utterly destroying the remains of the dock and blasting a hole for which the ship, the Assault Carrier Thoroughbred, launches through exiting the debris free, smoke filled area of the ruins of Heliopolis catching a trio of ZAFT ships completely unawares.

The ZAFT ships were all _Nazca_-Class, the _ZMS Nazca_ herself, the _ZMS__Pollux_, and finally the _ZMS Vesalius_. The sudden appearance of the green and gold ship with a striking appearance to the Legged Ship which had somehow snuck past and escaped them threw the ships' crews and commanders into a panic. With the _Laurasia_-Class ships guarding every possible route or off on a search pattern for the Legged Ship, the three ZAFT ships were sitting ducks.

* * *

**Bridge of the **_**Pollux**_

"WHAT THE HELL!" yelled more than one bridge crewmember, including the captain.

* * *

**Bridge of the **_**Nazca**_

"Wh-what!? TWO Legged Ships!" the intelligence officer yelled.

* * *

**Bridge of the **_**Vesalius**_

"Recall all ships! Bring about ninety degrees! Charge all weapons! Tactical gain target lock! Boost bow ten—no eleven degrees! Launch the Aegis!" Commander Rau Le Creuset ordered, which was promptly repeated by everyone and seemingly their mothers as the orders were carried out.

"A fourth ship has just blasted free!" reported one of the helmsmen pointing at a fourth explosion.

"Make that five!" yelled the other helmsman as a fifth explosion heralded a fifth ship exiting another hidden dock followed by more ships, some leaving in groups of two or three from the docks.

"What's the count?" ordered Captain Fredrick Ades.

"Around twenty or more!" reported the sensor station.

"Evading!" yelled the helmsmen in unison as green light and yellow hot slugs crossed the space the three ships were in as all three split and began to flee rather than stand against an enemy fleet.

* * *

**Bridge of the **_**Apache**__**, Nazca**_**-Class Destroyer assigned as the flagship of the Wash Team**

"The command ships are reporting an entire fleet pursuing them!" the communications officer reported with a half turn of surprise as he looked at his team commander, Justin Wash.

Standing at 6'2", Justin Wash was ripped and dangerous. He was one of the more notably infamous and cruel commanders in ZAFT. His face and overall general appearance would make one think he was quite the gentleman with a strong, but gentle sloping jaw and a face that should radiant anything, but death. His family origins are unknown and that creates fear among his enemies as he shows practically no mercy on the battlefield. Only one man had ever escaped the Harbinger of Dearth's grip once and that man went by the call sign 'Zone.' And that same man went on to challenge and defeat him and his Special Operations Force and several accounts, seemingly single handily.

"Only a handful of men are so capable as to hide the construction of a fleet," the perfect pearly whites of the ashened hair commander could be seen and the command crew had a very ill feeling.

"So you're back, Kensouke 'Zone' Walton-Badgiruel," the commander smirked now knowing who the Green Frame's Runner was.

"Commander?" Captain Franz Heinz questioned.

Captain Franz Heinz is a no nonsense captain who earned his command the old fashion way, hard work. He wasn't the best in his class, ranking near the bottom, though at age 20 and one of the first officers to graduate from ZAFT's Official Candiate School, he showed that he could do little, but be an average level ship's officer, but he quickly showed that he was a capable ship's captain when at the First Battle of Jachin Due, he was the only officer left on his ship and was able to rally the crew and fought brilliantly in battle against the Earth Forces since.

His appearance though is that of a man who can be very forgetful of minor things, such as shaving and where he left his captain's cover. He is a handsome to the ladies with a firm face that is athletic in appearance, as is his body. He was also happily married and is one of the few Second Generation of Coordinators to have a Third Gen child, a daughter named Gretchen Elise Heinz, with his wife, Elise Heinz, age 19 and also a Second Gen, back on the PLANTs.

"Prepare to hunt down the so-called 'Zone the Ender!'" a positively evil look appeared on Commander Wash's face, "but first, we deal with that fleet!"

* * *

**Bridge of the **_**Gridiron**_**, namesake of the **_**Gridiron**_**-Class of Light Cruisers**

"Fire Eagle's Talons! Launch Hammerhead Missiles!" the XO, Commander Charlie Sheen yelled as the orders were carried out.

Commander Charlie Sheen looked a lot like the 20th Century AD movie actor with the same name. The only exceptions were that he was 6'11", had a slender athletic build, and had brown hair and silver eyes. Other than that, he fit the bill of the actor to a tee. The reason though he had silver eyes, was a chemical explosion had changed his baby blues into sterling silver colored eyes.

Like others in this new fleet, he was fighting for a greater purpose and was also a deserter from the two warring factions. He had once been the XO of the _AFS Roosevelt_.

Still, he missed his wife and four kids, still living in what he and the others called, Occupied Atlantia.

The crew watch as the _Pollux_ was hammered by the missiles that had flown straight and true, reducing her engines to scrap while the AA kept the ZGMF-1017 GINNs and ZGMF-515 CQUEs at bay. Then the GAT-X303 Aegis shot by going after one of the carriers behind them.

"Aim Skaters at the three-oh-three and fire!" the point defense pulse beam AA cannons fired and the Aegis was forced to take evasive maneuvers.

"Fire Main Batteries at Echo Three and shake Le Creuset up a little!" the three forward beam cannons fired and slag the portside of the _Vesalius_.

* * *

**Bridge of the **_**Vesalius**_

"All forces retreat!" Captain Ades yelled as he felt the ship shudder again as the Tactical area's consoles erupted in flames, smoke, and debris throwing the command crew there out of their seats and against whatever would stop their motion.

Rau Le Creuset would have said something to that effect, positively or negatively, but he was assisting damage control trying to keep their ship's missiles from cooking off in the main magazine! He had left Ades in command knowing the man would do what was right. Still, had he been up there, he would have ordered the same. The battle was lost, the moment it began. The _Vesalius_ would be in port for months after this battle!

"Sir! The enemy is pressing their attacks! Enemy mobile suits confirmed launched!" and like their motherships, the mobile suits had the green color scheme, but these varied in secondary color to denote the type of unit, such as blue for infantry, red for artillery, green for sniper, yellow for cavalry, and so on.

As Ades watched, the remaining ships with mobile suits arrived, including the _Apache_, but the Aegis was hard press, these were clearly mass produced model variants of the five OMNI Enforcer machines. He knew that the GINN and the CQUE days were numbered by the sheer number of these units forget the greater quality of the machines and their pilots. Even with the _Apache's_ SOF mobile suits, it was clear the battle was lost and Wash seemed shocked as he was rapidly following the order to withdraw.

* * *

**Reference Area 35-56-09  
Border Zone of the L5 and L3 areas  
0303 Ship Standard Time  
January 27****th****, 71 CE**

The _Laurasia_-Class's engines exploded! A direct hit from the _AFS Archangel's_ Gottfried High Energy Beam Cannons. The _Laurasia_ was the only escort ship for several transport ships carrying badly need ZAFT military supplies to Earth and with the loss of their escort, the transports surrendered, knowing they could not outrun a warship built for speed and power.

The crew of the _Archangel_ cheered! Their first victory, though minor and a far cry from an actual battle, for the crew of the newest ship in the fleet, it was still great.

The boarding teams led by the _Archangel's_ own commander swiftly boarded the ZAFT transports, receiving no resistance, the ships were quickly brought under control as fast as possible. The ZAFT troops were then put aboard the disabled _Laurasia_ and the transports were stripped of things needed by the _Archangel_ and then scuttled with their supplies. ZAFT forces on Earth now couldn't be so reckless with their equipment and by the time they found out, they'd be most certainly dangerously low on spare parts and, as the joke was going, fresh socks and underwear.

The ZAFT were allowed to keep the mail heading towards the fighting troops, after all it was especially personal in an already impersonal war.

Three hours later, the _Archangel_ left the floating ZAFT ship and headed out to find its next convoy of prey.

One hour and fifteen minutes later, the Hasselholf Team found the stricken ship and effected rescue, towing her back to port which would leave a serious gap in the patrol lanes.

* * *

**Seven hours later  
Reference 05-23-47**

Captain Richard Jonathan Howe smiled greedily. One _Laurasia_-Class and forty transports were sailing before the _Archangel_ on a course to deliver supplies to Carpentaria Base, Oceania Union. This had the hallmark of a trap and sure enough, Lieutenant (Senior Grade) Mu La Flaga found one _Nazca_-Class and three, possibly four more _Laurasia_-Class while scouting the area. Consulting with his CAG, XO, and Rei the AI, Acting Captain Howe had a deadly smirk on his face.

* * *

One hour later, the area where the convoy had been was a mess. ZAFT mobile suits floated in ruins, ships were gutted, and the convoy was now numbering only five ships with all the survivors on board. The attack had been so deadly precise that the ZAFT had to have wondered if they were fighting just one ship or an entire _fleet_! They were actually still wondering that!

The _Archangel_ had attacked the _Laurasia_-Class ships and there had been four of them, while the GAT-X105 Strike had struck out at the _Nazca_-Class. During this time, the TS-MA2.Mod.0 Moebius Zero had struck the convoy with the Green Frame providing additional gunfire support in the roll of an armored gun turret – through the pilot being out there was against the ship's doctor's very vocal protest – gunning down mobile suits and putting a bazooka round into the reactor of one of the _Laurasia_. The ambush was so well accomplished that there had been no SOS this time unlike last time. ZAFT was now not receiving troops and supplies that would be badly needed for Operation Split Break if – when – it was voted upon and passed.

Once more the _Archangel_ moved on, but there would be no quick rescue for the five ships left in her wake. It would be nearly two weeks before they were found and many more ships would suffer the same fate as the Hasselholf Team and ZAFT command were confident at the moment that the _Archangel_ was steaming for OMNI Enforcer territory and not bent on a mission to disrupt their supply lines; something that would come to bite them in the butt later on during the war.

So until ZAFT started to get their act together, the mice were going to play.

* * *

**Hidden Underground City  
General Command Headquarters  
Location, well it's hidden  
1432 hours  
January 27****th****, 71 CE**

"_Its taken use some time, but we have Zala's plans,"_ a voice spoke over the audio only communication.

"Where?" asked the leader of the assembled men and women, many of whom were either in their late-30's to mid 40's, the rest late 40's to mid 50's.

"_Joint Operations Strategic Headquarters Alaska and the fools of Blue Cosmos know too, that's where we got the information,"_ the voice's report left some murmuring.

"Who leaked?" asked a middle aged woman in a red dress suit.

"_My bet is Aru the Crucible, but I don't know why or anybody else for that matter. His past is a fake and we can't seem to find out if he is or isn't a Coordinator, though he has to be, but only Patrick Zala and a few others know who his physician is and that we can't access from ZAFT's own computers. Hell not even the ZAFT military knows who is doctor is!"_

"Look into it, but what about the Fleet and the White Bird?" asked the leader.

"_The White Bird was last reported in ZAFT territory, must likely Richard Jonathan Howe commands, he was the best frigate captain that the Atlantic Federation had and the Fleet, they had to shoot they're way out, but ZAFT was hurt bad, but so were they in some cases thanks to Commander Wash and his Able Mark One, the Green Frame is a _must_ acquisition if we're going to have peace,"_ the voice reported and that caused general concern as the MBF-05(G) Green Frame was the property of the Orb Union, not theirs.

"Damn!" one of the aides said knowing what was said. Nobody refuted the word or told him to be quiet.

"Continued as planned, but be flexible," the voice acknowledged and the connection cut, "Meeting adjourned," the leader announced and everyone filed out. There was much thinking to be done and planning to be made in the future if the enemy, the _'true enemy,'_ that is was to be defeated.


End file.
